The longest trip or stay you've done

[Manitou]

How long have you called Chinook home in 1 outing? Any idea how long someone has lived out of a chinook? I recall a musician's website where he lived out of his (more or less), but I don't remember how long he called it home.

[Concourse]

I'm thinking you might be asking about dry camping rather than campgrounds but for what it's worth I spend 3 weeks (consecutive days) in the Chinook every year.

[Skillet]

I know the musician's site you're talking about and I can't find where I bookmarked it. I started way back where he got it and followed him to after he got rid of it. He made great use of the space and learned to do his own repairs. Some not easy at all. It was a good read. Here's another blog where they take long trips and I find it fun to read as well: http://chinookers.blogspot.com/

[Chinookers]

Skillet, thanks for mentioning my blog (Chinookers Journey), and glad you enjoy it

The musician mentioned above is a fellow by name of Glenn Morrissette - he started blogging in 2009 - originally he had a Falcon, then a Chinook, and now a Vanagon. His current blog is http://www.tosimplify.net/, but this does not include any references to his old Concourse; for that you will have to look at his previous "1.0" iteration http://tosimplifyold.blogspot.com/ and search for Chinook entries - or to save time try this link http://tosimplifyold.blogspot.com/search?q=chinook

By the way, last year I did a 133 day trip, and a couple of days ago I just finished a 115 day trip. Here are the stats from this recent 'voyage':

I'll now be home for two or three months to repair the storm damage that I sustained in Nashville ... more at http://chinookers.blogspot.com/2015/04/ ... essee.html

I think it just proves how strongly built our Chinooks are. The tree that slammed into us was at least 2,500 pounds. The heavy duty roof rack absorbed a lot of the impact but is now skewed to one side and has to be replaced (expensive item). No holes in fiberglass but some scuff marks on the side of the RV. Also until it is removed I can't see if there is any more damage where the roof rack is squashed onto the roof. One of the cabinets inside is cracked. There's some other stuff as well. But it definitely could have been worse! I was standing in the bathroom when the tree hit just above my head - thank goodness for the roof rack! It also wrecked the Dahon folding bike that was on the roof rack at the time. We had to call 911 when it happened because the tree blocked all three doors.

[Blue~Go]

Andrew,

I imagine you are going to find someone fantastic to analyze the damage and make the repair, but if you would like a second opinion (or third), I'd be happy to look at photos and give you my thoughts at any time. I have some background in fiberglass repair (boats), and the concepts are basically the same on the Chinook (one reason the Chinook is a handy rig for me).

You could PM me here at any time.

[Skillet]

Chinookers: I stay current on your blog travels and enjoy the site. Sometimes I'll let a couple weeks go by and binge-read your posts. Once you get the repairs going I hope you blog it along the way. Because my exterior has peeling clearcoat and faded paint, I'll be real interested how they repair/repaint (if you're able to do any watching).

And to stay on topic, I've only had a couple trips in mine. The longest was 1500 miles from Texas to Virginia when I picked up the Chinook and drove it home. Did it in 2 days 'cause I had to get home for work.

[hwhankins]

The longest "trip" I've done in the Chinook (it's a true B not a B plus) was 4 years and 2 months. I lived full time in it from September 2007 until November 2011. It was all in the South-western US, mostly in Southern Nevada, Southern Utah, and Northern Arizona. I also visited friends in Southern California parking outside their houses and businesses at night.

Other than the last 3 1/2 years I've lived full-time in RVs since the mid-1990s. Originally in a Dodge based Class-C, then a 28 foot travel trailer, and finally the Chinook. To ease the transition from the larger travel trailer to the tiny Chinook I had a mini-storage unit in Las Vegas that I stored some things in. That worked but paying for the storage unit increased my cost of living and kind of tied me to that area. In November 2011 a family health problem back in NJ prompted me to move into a house in Brick, NJ for a while. I'm not getting a storage unit when I go on the road this time, if I can't carry it I'm getting rid of it. While there are good things about living in a house I miss living in the RV and miss the desert South-west. And I really dislike the high cost of living in NJ.

I'm making a few repairs and changes to the Chinook and planning to move back into it in a month or two. I've removed the air conditioner (boondocking I never used it), added a fantastic vent, removed the Motosat satellite internet dish, made the bed 8 inches narrower (for more room standing at the counter), removed the tub/shower, and mounted 300 watts of solar on the roof. I'm still working on replacing the parquet flooring, some changes to the cabinets, and countless little changes.

[Blue~Go]

Hi Hank, and welcome!

I like your Chinook - I've seen photos of the outside of a few Chinook Class B's (in ads) but never seen or heard any more than that about them. Now we have one here! I had an (other brand) Class B before my current Chinook (which is the small Class C type). I like the Chinook a lot but many times I do miss my Class B - mostly the big side door.

Sounds like you are looking forward to getting back on the road. Here's to future travels!

[Skillet]

Hello Hank! I'm just starting to read your blog and enjoy it. Have you found any mileage increase since you removed the a/c and satellite? I couldn't live without a/c, even in the dry Southwest. More power to ya!

[hwhankins]

I am eager to get back on the road. I thought I could live in a house but 25 years living in a RV has spoiled me for that. I had always intended to retire back here in NJ and live on the property my great-great-great-grandfather purchased in 1881. It just doesn't work both financially (cost of living in NJ is ridiculous) and even more, I feel "trapped" living in a house. I miss the freedom of waking up in the morning and deciding to pick up and move somewhere else that day.

I haven't driven the Chinook since the A/C and satellite dish were removed. It's been parked behind the house for the last three years. To save money I cancelled the insurance and registration when I parked it. It's running again after replacing the engine battery, water pump, thermostat, radiator hoses, and all the belts. And I've got the parts for a tuneup but haven't gotten around to it yet with all the other things I've been doing. I won't miss the air conditioner, since I boondock most of the time I only used it maybe twenty days in the four years I lived in the Chinook, most of that parked in a campground in Vegas when friends visited. The fantastic-vent that replaced it will be way more useful than the a/c ever was.

My current plans call for it to be registered and on the road locally around the end of the month. I'll drive it around here for about a month to make sure everything's OK before I take it back on the road and across the country.

I hope to leave NJ around the end of August, head down to Texas to visit friends in Mount Pleasant for a few weeks and get my driver's license switched over. Then I'm going to slowly head West to California to visit other friends. The only more or less firm plans I have are to stop and see the aircraft storage facility at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson and visit the Titan Missile Museum that's just South of there.

After that I'll be back to full-time boondocking in the South-west probably starting at Lake Mead since I have lots of friends there.